Pakistan Considers Boycott of Remaining Asia Cup 2025 Matches
Pakistan is considering a boycott of the remainder of the 2025 Asia Cup following a dispute stemming from a perceived lack of support from match officials regarding a pre-match handshake refusal by the Indian team, according to Geo News. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly discussed instructing the team to remain in their hotel rooms, with player kits and luggage remaining on the team bus.An emergency press conference is expected to address the situation.
The core of the dispute lies with match referee, PC Croft, whom the PCB attempted to have replaced before the competition. Despite a formal request to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the request to change the referee was denied, and Croft remained assigned to the tournament.
The controversy originated from the recent match between Pakistan and India.Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav led his team in refusing to shake hands with Pakistani players. in protest, Pakistan captain Salman Ali declined to participate in the post-match presentation ceremony.
The PCB alleges that the match referee acted in a manner favorable to the Indian captain, preventing salman Ali from accessing necessary information and delaying the submission of team sheets prior to the match. Suryakumar Yadav defended his team’s actions as a demonstration of solidarity following recent terrorist attacks in Pahalgam.
The PCB formally lodged a complaint regarding the Indian team’s behavior,focusing on the role of PC Croft. This led to a threat of withdrawing from the tournament, ultimately rejected by the ICC.
A potential boycott could have important financial repercussions for Pakistan, with reports suggesting a loss of Rs 16 million in earnings and the possibility of disciplinary action.The situation also raises questions about the authority of mohsin Naqvi, the current head of the Asian Cricket Council, in influencing PCB decisions.
